"Hunting" Deer

I read a story today by Ryan Sabalow of The Indianapolis Star about deer breeding and deer hunting.  I didn't get the full story, just the snippet he wrote for USA Today.  I must admit I found something in this article terribly disgusting.  As a (mostly) vegetarian it would seem likely that it was about hunting and killing deer in general.  Maybe I should be mad about the potential for the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) among wild deer across our country.  Maybe I should be mad about the "shoddy record keeping and meager penalties for those caught breaking the rules."  Maybe I should be mad that these deer hunting preserves fall into a "regulatory gap" where "anything goes."  I'm fairly certain that I should be mad that hunters feel that the industry is capable of self regulation and that politicians seem to agree.  Some people would probably be mad that these deer have been selectively bred to having the most outrageous and freakish antlers possible, regardless of the health concerns associated with such large antlers.  And really, we should all be mad that Ryan's story discovered that the "industry costs taxpayers millions of dollars, compromises long-standing wildlife laws, endangers wild deer and undermines the government's miltibillion-dollar effort to protect livestock and the food supply." All these things bother me, but it is not what makes me really mad.

 What really makes me mad is the "captive-deer facilities."  Let's go over that again, captive deer facilities.  These are reserves where selectively bred deer are sent to roam about until some wealthy "hunter" comes along to shoot them for their antlers.  I call these people "hunters" because these are captive deer.  Let's be clear, it is NOT HUNTING if you are shooting deer that are unable to escape because they are encircled in high fences.  It is literally like shooting fish in a barrel.  I can not, for the life of me, understand how anyone could get a thrill out of shooting a captive deer.  These aren't even normal deer, they are weighed down by their huge antlers and stupid from several decades of inbreeding.  Who gets a thrill from this?

Sadly, too many of us do get off on this ridiculous hobby; it is a billion dollar industry (that's billion with a 'B').  I'm not here to trash the people who own/love/use their guns, I don't understand it but it's not really my business.  I'm just not sure that I will ever get gun love, but I know I will never understand captive hunting.  If you want to prove that you are a real tough guy (I don't because I am not) and you feel the need to shoot something, join the army and fight for our country.

When it comes to gun laws I don't think it's fair for a liberal Californian (like me) to tell midwestern/southern states how they should live their lives or that their culture is stupid.  Similarly, though, I don't think these gun lovers should keep suburban populations from imposing stricter gun laws when they have violence epidemics.  For those people that profess a love of states rights it is time to show it even when you don't agree with what some states are doing.